Ronaldo's 'sadness' exasperates Real Madrid

A Real Madrid official, who asked to remain unnamed, said Ronaldo's outburst was "whimsical and ill-timed."

The source confirmed that Ronaldo wants to leave, but noted that "nobody knows why".

Ronaldo said he was upset with "people in the club" after scoring two goals to lead Madrid to a 3-0 win over Granada on Sunday.

The Portugal forward chose not to celebrate his goals, remaining glum as his teammates and fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium erupted around him.

When asked why after the match, Ronaldo said: "I am sad and the club knows it, that's why I didn't celebrate the goals. The people in the club know why."

Ronaldo's comments have sparked rumours in the Spanish press that he is looking to leave Madrid.

Displeasure
The 27-year-old Ronaldo refused to elaborate on the reasons for his displeasure with the club that spent a record £80-million to secure him from Manchester United in 2009.

"I'm not going to say anything else, people know why," he said.

Ronaldo's outburst compounds the ongoing saga of what to do with club president Florentino Perez's other star signing, Brazil midfielder Kaka, who sought a transfer this offseason after being reduced to a bench player at best.

Yet while Kaka has been practically forgotten by Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, Ronaldo is the key player for the Spanish champions who have set winning the Champions League as their goal for this season.

Club sources said that the winger did not even give Perez more specific reasons when the two met on Saturday at the player's request.

Closing ranks
"Everything has come by surprise," a Real Madrid source said.
"It all comes with a two-week break for national team duty, and just a few days after winning the Spanish Supercup against Barcelona. Nobody even remembers that and we should be partying still."

Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, said in a statement that he knows why the player feels this way, but he also declined to say why.

"It is up to Cristiano Ronaldo himself to disclose [these reasons] or not, as he sees fit," Mendes said.

He said he was "not surprised" by Ronaldo's comments.

"Anyone who knows the relationship I have with Cristiano Ronaldo knows he will always have my full solidarity," Mendes said. – Sapa-dpa